Call for proposals for RTD actions under the BIOTECH programme

The European Commission, DG XII, has published a call for proposals for RTD actions under its specific RTD programme in the field of biotechnology (BIOTECH II).

The present call for proposals concerns training actions connected with research covered by the specific programme (training grants through research), aimed at:

- Researchers, essentially with a PhD or equivalent qualification, who wish to become trained or specialized outside their country of origin;- Research institutions which welcome them.

The researchers must be citizens of the Community Member States or of an associated state. The research institutions must have independent legal status, be established in the Community or an associated state and have the capacity to provide training through research.

The objective of the action involving training through research is to promote, by encouraging researcher training and mobility, a quantitative and qualitative increase of human resources in the Community and in states associated with the research, technological development and demonstration programme.

This activity will be implemented in accordance with the general conditions applicable to grants for training through research, in accordance with the objectives of the BIOTECH programme. Three types of grant are envisaged: training grants, return grants and mobility grants for confirmed researchers:

- A. Training grants:These grants are for third-cycle researchers and post-PhD researchers wishing to be trained or become specialized outside their country of origin or recent residence. A post-PhD researcher is defined as a researcher with a PhD or an equivalent level of training or, alternatively, with at least four years' full-time experience in research at the third-cycle level.

A third-cycle researcher is defined as a researcher having a university degree or a diploma from an equivalent higher education institute which gives direct access to the preparation of a PhD or equivalent qualification. Community support will provide the researcher with a grant as well as a contribution towards the costs involved in research and administration at the institute, for a period of six months to two years;

- B. Return grants:Return grants are reserved for researchers who originate from disadvantaged areas and who wish to return and undertake research in a disadvantaged area of their country of origin. These researchers must have benefited from a full two-year post-PhD grant within the context of this programme or the preceding specific programme in the field of biotechnology. Community support will provide the researcher with a grant, as well as a contribution towards the costs involved in research and administration at the institute, for a period of up to 12 months;

- C. Mobility grants for confirmed researchers:These grants are reserved to confirmed researchers, who must establish proof of at least eight years' full time research experience at third-cycle level. Community support will be in the form of a grant to the researcher, as well as a contribution towards the costs involving research and administration at the institute, for a period ranging from three months to one year.

The work programme, dossier containing information on the procedures for submitting proposals and a copy of the standard contract which will be drawn up with the selected research institutions are available on request from Commission services. The description of the works undertaken within the context of preceding and associated programmes will also be sent on request.